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Dole recalls Italian blend due to listeria concern

(CORRECTED, Aug. 24) Dole Fresh Vegetables, Monterey, Calif., has voluntarily recalled 1,039 cases of Italian blend lettuce after a bag randomly tested by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture was positive for listeria monocytogenes. Romaine lettuce is the main ingredient.

No illnesses have been reported, according to a news release.

Dole officials are coordinating with regulatory officials, according to the release.

The mix of romaine and radicchio was packed at Dole’s Bessemer City, N.C., plant, said Marty Ordman, vice president of marketing and communications for Dole Food Co., West Lake Village, Calif.

“We know where the raw materials came from,” he said. “We have a very good traceability system in place, and there’s nothing we could find in the plant that warranted any sort of concern.”

The salads were distributed to Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Mississippi and Virginia, according to the release.

Although the product is past its use-by date and retailers most likely have already remove it from shelves, the Food and Drug Administration recommends they check to ensure they don’t have any still in inventory.

Note on correction: In the original article, the first reference to the product did not clarity it was Italian blend, of which romaine is the main ingredient.